John Wilson

To all self-appointed English teachers,

Who pride themselves in their ability

To memorize the rules, I ask,

Did you ever color outside the lines?

Or did you draw a thick black outline

Making sure nothing other than what was expected

Occurred?

Did you tattle when the less kempt strayed?

Did you tally your stars

For good deportment and an organized desk?

You see, us malcontents chafe against your rules,

We wonder if maybe the world is not flat,

That outside the lines is something

We’ve never dreamed of?

But I imagine dreams scare you,

Being such unpredictable things

With no boundaries at all.

And try not to obsess if I’ve misspelled some word

Or if you take offence at my grammar.

We’re all just making it up as we go.